4 Great Rider Fitness Exercises
Last week we discussed conditioning your horse after a layoff. But, just as important as horse fitness is rider fitness. No matter what level of exercise you maintained during the…
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Tag: horseback riding
Why your horse is the best trainer you will ever have
As equestrians, we are always (or should always be) on the lookout for good teachers we can learn from. As amateur equestrians though, we don’t always have the resources to…
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Dealing with Chronic Illness as an Equestrian
So far, I have kept most of my blogging focused on the horses. However, given my current struggles with seizures, I think this is a good time to address the…
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Slower doesn’t mean collected
There seems to be a bit of a disconnect for some riders in the western show pen. There is still a misconception for some riders that slower somehow…
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Why being on the forehand is detrimental to your horse
Last week we discussed the importance of knowing the ‘why’ behind everything you do with your horse. Here is an important ‘why’ that is sometimes skipped over because so many…
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The Trained Monkey Bandwagon
In riding, we tend to focus our efforts and education on learning the “how” of everything. “How do I warm up my horse?” “How do I know my saddle fits…
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Standing While Mounting
This may seem like such a small and insignificant exercise, but it far more important than many people realize. Too often I see people who need someone to hold…
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Hippotherapy: Horses as Therapy
Animals are widely considered to be therapeutic for humans, but none so much as the horse. Physical Therapy There are many therapeutic riding programs throughout the world. The technical term…
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Facing the Fear Monster
We’ve all faced this one at some point in our riding career. Maybe you had a accident with broken bones and shattered confidence. Or maybe you lost the one horse…
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The Importance of Examining Your Horse’s Sweat Patterns After a Ride
Proper saddle fit is important for every horse, whether you are a trail rider or a show competitor. One of the easiest ways to check for saddle fit is to…
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Why “Heels Down” Is Right Out
No matter your level of riding, we’ve all been there. Constantly fighting to keep those heels down. It’s a mantra that get drilled into us from day one. But is…
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4 Keys to a Good Warmup
The warmup is a vital part of training that is too often overlooked. Sometimes you see riders walking their horses in the warmup letting them get strung out and lazy.…
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Top 10 Things to Remember When Horse Shopping
1. Know what you want before you start shoppingThis is one of the biggest mistakes I see a lot of buyers make. They have enough money saved up to buy…
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Toddlers in Timeout: Is this really a human phenomenon?
Even if you’re not a parent, you’ve probably been an aunt, uncle, or cousin to a toddler at some point. So, you’ve probably experienced the joys of dealing with a…
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9 Good Horse Training Habits
1. Let the horse catch you We’ve all been there. It’s 4am the morning of the show. Everything is packed. The trailer is loaded and sitting in the driveway. You’re…
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Teaching a Horse How to Learn
This is a follow-up to my June 16th article What does it mean for a horse to have “a lot of heart?” At first, this one sounds like an oxymoron,…
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Practice Until You Can’t Get it Wrong
Riding is like any sport. It takes practice to get good, but it is not enough to practice until you can get it right. If you want to become truly…
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What does it mean for a horse to have “a lot of heart?”
Have you ever been mystified when hearing a trainer or rider comment that they like a horse with “a lot of heart?" This is a phrase that is often thrown…
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Why you don’t need an arena to train and how a lack of facilities can be an advantage
There is a common misconception that you need a "proper" arena to train horses. I’ve heard too many people justify giving up on their show dreams by saying: “Well I…
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6 Tips for Beating the Heat This Summer
1. Save riding and strenuous activity for early morning or late evening hours Morning and evening are the coolest hours of the day when the sun is lowest in the…
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The Big Bit Band-Aid
One of the big controversies in the horse world, particularly in the western arena, is over-bitting. The show pen seems to have developed the mentality that bigger is better and…
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3 Exercises Every Horse Needs to Know (Part 2): Lateral Flexion of the Poll (not the neck)
This is part 2 of a 3-part series that will cover my 3 most important exercises that every horse needs to know to make them a safe riding companion: Lunging…
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3 Secrets to Improve Your Riding
As riders, we are always looking for that magical secret to develop our riding. There are a few simple keys that I’ve discovered that advanced my riding overnight. The most…
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